h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Today's Friday Freebie Film: 'The Dark of the Moon', a spooky tale of love, madness, and hillbilly witches.

http://archive.org/details/NbcMatineeTheater-theDarkOfTheMoon

A few words about this turke...er, masterpiece: it was done back in the black-and-white TV days, when a lot of Broadway actors ended up on TV entertaining the masses. The plays were often quite good. This one, let all be warned, is not of that caliber. But it has an odd charm. Very odd.

The story appears to be based on an 'Appalachian folktale'. This folktale, obviously, was invented in an alternate universe known only to the writers. One in which witches are bubble-headed supernatural beings who age out into Smoky Mountain mist. But until then, the women are awful, and the men - to judge by Tom Tryon - are dishy.

Ah, Tom Tryon. Otherwise known as Thomas Tryon, author of the classic horror novel, 'The Other'. Watching this gives us a clue about why he changed professions - if he got much more of this dialogue, he'd have to realise he could write better.

A brief note on the 'dialect': one suspects the authors of this opus came from New York City. This accent is not found in nature - and 'conjure woman' is more Gullah than Appalachian.

Anyway, don't analyse too much. Just enjoy the mayhem and butchering of 'Barbara Allen'. A folklorist would scream, but it's all good fun. And ladies, the actor is shirtless for much of it.

Yay! What???? OK This will be my weekend entertainment.

(bows to the Friday Freebie wizard)

Of course, your intros are as delightful as the thing itself. Better perhaps.

they STILL act like that on most of our soap operas

...certainly well titled.

Meanwhile,the background animal screeching was different.

I hadn't thought of that one, offspring of a cat and swine...

Worthy of a fright Night special.

We'll use it for Hawllowe'en.